How was your experience with Catherine DeUgarte at CMD Fertility?
I brought two PGS-tested normal embryos to CMD to undergo Frozen Embryos Transfer (FET) procedures. The doctor implanted both of my embryos during an interval outside the “implantation windows”. This error made it impossible for the embryos to survive.
The two lost PGS-tested normal embryos were fertilized from my 39 year-old egg. Following the FET failures, I went through six more IVF cycles that yielded zero normal embryos. I am on my seventh cycle. It is extremely difficult at age 43 to yield PGS-normal embryos.
The doctor repetitively claimed that my failures was likely due to the fact that those embryo were fertilized from frozen eggs. Other fertility doctors I consulted since all disagreed with her assessment. They said implanting timing is crucial factor to success.
Following the two failures I did an IVF at CMD. This time she did the Endometrial Receptivity Analysis
(ERA) test to determine the timing “implantation window”, the result clearly indicated that both of the previous of the FET transfers were implanted at the wrong time. Those embryos were not giving any chance.
According to other fertility specialists that I have since consulted, they said they would have highly recommended or even required that ERA testing be done BEFORE the two FET transfers, given my age and situation. Yet, ERA testing was not conducted for the two transfers at CMD.
For the ERA procedure she finally did for the next IVF, during the middle of the procedure, she didn’t have the skill to continue and asked her nurse to run to next door to grab another doctor to finish the procedure for her.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Catherine DeUgarte at CMD Fertility?
According to other doctors, my endometrium lining is very good and I don’t have any endometriosis, my chance of getting pregnant for each transfer with PGS tested normal embryos should be very high. I had even mentioned to Dr. DeUgarte that I intended to have at least one child and ideally hoped to have two children from the two embryos.
Because I chose a wrong doctor, I lost everything and suffered tremendously. Her improper treatment caused me extensive damages including my potential to have a biological child, significant medical expenses for following the 7 IVF I did, time, in addition lots of pain and emotional distress.
She will give you her phone number and is always smily, but those are not the reason to choose a doctor.
My advice is to choose carefully and pay attention to the medical knowledge, skill, and the morality of the doctor. She lacks all those qualities. I find her very incompetent. Do your research, you will find her approx. 4 years span of medical malpractice case.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Catherine DeUgarte at CMD Fertility?
I went to her office after two failed FET transfers, she was looking at her Instagram and told me someone posted their baby on her page and asked me to join her Instagram. She didn't mentioned about my loss.
She was inconsistent in her words, contradicted herself, and gave inaccurate medical information. She blamed that my embryos failed due to they were fertilized from frozen eggs. After I didn’t get any normal embryos from the IVF cycles, she said I did the right thing to freeze my eggs when I was younger. She implanted both of my PGS tested normal embryos fertilized from my frozen egg at the wrong time. That error made it impossible for them to survive.
She was very not focus, skipping over medical questions but talked often about misc. stuff such as her dog, her cashmere sweater, her weekend, her kids, her Christmas shopping, other people getting pregnant, etc.
After I left her clinic and wrote her about my dissatisfied experience there, she never respond.
Describe the protocols Catherine DeUgarte used in your cycles at CMD Fertility and their degree of success.
FET procedures: Estrace 2 mg for 3 weeks, Gestone 1cc, baby aspirn 81 mg. Both times she implanted the embryos at the wrong time. Both time failed
IVF: Gonal F 300IU, Omnitrope .25, Menopur 150 IU, Cetrotide. Lupron trigger 4mg and novarel 200IU. Started with 22 follicles, 14 retrieved, 9 fertilized, 4 blastocyst, 0 PGS tested normal.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at CMD Fertility.
During the covid time, at 9:30 after my ultrasound, Jackie told me to wait at the pharmacy downstairs and once they open at 10am, she would call for the prescription for me to pick up. I waited till 10:30 and gave Jackie a call, she didn’t pick up and didn’t return my call, I went up to her office at 10:45, she said she didn’t call the pharmacy and she had to finish other work before she can call. At 11am, she called and then told me they were closed for that day. I waited 1.5 hour for nothing.
Describe your experience with CMD Fertility.
Just to note my observation, her ultrasound machine didn’t have the feature to self record the follicle size onto the computer, she had a nurse manually write them down and then input them on the computer afterward. Once with no nurse available, I wrote down the information for her. I went to other doctors and realized their machines have the feature to self record the follicle size into the system.
During the covid time, the wait was shorter. Before the covid time, the wait time ranged approx. 30 min to 1 hour 45 minutes.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Catherine DeUgarte at CMD Fertility.
It is very expensive, one of the more expensive clinics in LA. After each cycle she requires follow up appointment which she charges $315 to continue the next cycle, which also mean skipping a month after each cycle. For one of my follow up appointments, the wait was 1 hour 45 minutes and the talk was less than 10 min.
What specific things went wrong at CMD Fertility?
- Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
- Failed to order appropriate test
- Provided conflicting information
- Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at CMD Fertility.
2 normal embryos implanted at the wrong time, result killing both of them. Due to her lack of skill, during the middle of ERA procedure, the doctor had her nurse ran to next door to grab another doctor to finish the procedure for her. She gave contradicting, incomplete, and inaccurate medical information. Nurse forgot to forget medication. The doctor misdiagnosed my case and cause a lot of damage to me.